Brian Kelly Open to Being an Assistant Coach, Talks Support of Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame

Former Notre Dame and LSU head coach Brian Kelly says he's open to being an assistant coach or coordinator should he make a return to college football following his October 2025 dismissal by the Tigers.

Kelly spoke about his college football coaching future in a Tuesday appearance on The Independent: A Notre Dame Football Podcast.

"I don't think I've closed any doors in my own mind, and I think that's the most important thing," Kelly said when asked if he'd consider an assistant coaching or coordinator job offer around the 18:00 mark of the podcast. "I'm very open-minded about what the opportunities might be for me.

"I have a lot more to give. I've been able to focus on my health, my health has come back to be really, really good in all areas. I've got good energy... I think that's important."

Kelly most recently spent three and a half seasons as head coach at LSU before he was fired last October.

The 64-year-old previously coached Notre Dame for 12 years before leaving the program for LSU in November 2021, a decision he said in Tuesday's podcast was "mischaracterized."

Kelly previously told the AP's Ralph D. Russo in April 2022 he wanted "to be in an environment where I have the resources to win a national championship."

"I didn't leave Notre Dame before they couldn't win a national championship. Those words never came out of my mouth," Kelly said in Tuesday's podcast.

Kelly went on to praise Marcus Freeman, who took over at Notre Dame in the wake of his departure and has gone on to lead the Fighting Irish to a 43-12 record and a national championship game appearance.

"It's extraordinary that a football coach with no head coaching experience has been able to step in the job and do as well as Marcus has. I think that that needs to be said," Kelly said. "I had 19 years of being the head coach, and I felt like the water was up to my nose at times at Notre Dame. So, I have such respect for Marcus and what he's been able to do in that role."

Kelly continued, "What Marcus does extremely well is, he listens. He doesn't have a preordained, 'This is the way we're doing it.' He'll get there, but he listens, and he listens to people around him, people that he respects. And because he does that, and he's humble, he's able to move with the job as the job becomes difficult."

Kelly also said he's planning to visit Notre Dame before the start of the 2026-27 academic year this fall.

"I just want to show that I have 100 percent faith and confidence in what they're doing and how they're doing it," Kelly said. "Not that they need me to validate in any way, but I want our fans to know, the Notre Dame fans, that I'm 100 percent supporting of what they're doing."

Kelly has spent time around college football this offseason while doing consulting work for Memphis, per Jonah Dylan of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

He is currently expected to serve as an analyst for Mountain West games broadcast on CBS next season, per Front Office Sports' Ryan Glasspiegel.